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Brazilian Semiarid region is the natural environment of many herbaceous and shrubby plants that can be consumed by ruminants. Our objective was to estimate nutritional potential and CH4 production of forages from Brazilian Semiarid region for ruminant diets. We evaluated Manihot pseudoglazziovii, Mimosa caesapiniifolia, Bauhinia cheilantha, Leucaena leucocephala, Clitorea ternatea and Gliricidia sepium by chemical composition, digestibility and degradation parameters and ruminal fermentation. The fractionation of carbohydrates and proteins was performed based on the Cornell Net Carbohydrate and Protein System. The evaluation of the degradation of organic matter and ruminal fermentation products was performed by the semi-automatic in vitro gas production technique. The ruminal degradability and intestinal digestibility of protein were estimated using the in vitro three stage simulation technique. Clitorea, followed by Leucaena, had the highest concentration of the fraction B2 (potentially digestible fiber) while the concentration did not differ (P>0.05) between the other species. The fractions C were found in greater quantities (P

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of reducing water supply for watering of Santa Ines ewes on carcass characteristics, non-carcass components and the volume of digestive compartments. Thirty-two crossbred Santa Ines ewes, with an average body weight of 32.2 ± 7.4 kg, were distributed in a randomized block design with four treatments (different supply levels - 100% (ad libitum), 80%, 60% and 40% ad libitum water intake treatment) and eight repetitions. The animals were confined for 63 days until slaughter. The decrease in water availability promoted a linear decreasing effect for the internal carcass length (P = 0.032). A quadratic effect was found for the volume of the omasum (P = 0.018) and abomasum (P = 0.039), with maximum volumes of 0.305 and 1.636 liters, respectively, for 40% supply. The reticulum yield showed a quadratic effect (P = 0.044) with a maximum point in the supply of 100%, with 0.527%. The reduction in water supply promoted a quadratic effect for the weight (P = 0.016) and yield (P = 0.030) of the bladder, with maximum yields found in the supply of 60%, with 0.067 kg and 0.233%, respectively. There was a quadratic effect for weight (P = 0.042) and yield (P = 0.029) of the diaphragm with higher values found in the supply of 60%m with 0.272 kg and 0.927%, respectively. There was a quadratic effect for kidney yield (P = 0.022) with higher yield for 100% supply. Therefore, the reduction in water supply levels by up to 40% in relation to voluntary intake can be a strategy to be used in cases of water scarcity, as it does not cause negative effects on the Santa Ines ewe carcass.

This study aimed to evaluate the intake and digestibility of nutrients, nitrogen use, performance and blood metabolic profile of lambs in finishing fed with urea supplemented alternative feeds. Forty Santa Ines lambs, uncastrated males, with an average body weight of 22.8 ± 2.1 kg, were used in a completely randomized design. Four diets were tested, with Tifton-85 hay as forage (580 g/kg of dry matter) and corn + soybean meal (CSM), corn + urea (CU), cassava scraping + urea (CSU), and spineless cactus + urea (SCU). The lambs fed with SCU diet had lower (P